Title: Mom Arrested, Charged with Felony for Putting Recorder in 9-year-old's Backpack to Catch Her Bully Source:
Free Thought Project/WAVY-TV URL Source:http://thefreethoughtproject.com/mo ... r-school-backpack-catch-bully/ Published:Nov 22, 2017 Author:Matt Agorist Post Date:2017-11-23 10:03:57 by Deckard Keywords:None Views:7651 Comments:66
Norfolk, VA — For weeks, Sarah Sims said she called and emailed school officials repeatedly to tell them her child was being bullied at school and was never given a response. So, she took matters into her own hands and now she is facing felony charges.
Sims discovered her daughter was being bullied in late September. So, like any parent would do, she reached out to school officials for help. But she received nothing.
“The thing that bothers me the most is that I am yet to get a response from anyone in the administration,” Sims added.
After being shrugged off by the school, Sims decided that she would take matters into her own hands and catch her 9-year-old daughter’s bully.
“I tried to be fair, but it’s not fair,” said Sims. “There is nothing fair about this.”
She wanted to obtain proof that nothing was being done to help her 4th-grader, so she put a digital recorder in her backpack to capture audio from inside the classroom.
“If I’m not getting an answer from you, what am I left to do?” she asked.
Shortly after placing the recorder in her daughter’s backpack, it was found by the school who has a no electronic device policy. Her daughter was then moved to a new class and police came after Sims.
“I was mortified,” Sims said. “The next thing I know, I’m a felon. Felony charges and a misdemeanor when I’m trying to look out for my kid. What do you do?”
Local news outlet WAVY contacted the Norfolk School system for a comment and they were told because it is a pending investigation no one could comment on what happened. We were told that in elementary schools, no electronic devices are allowed.
“They aren’t making this about that classroom,” said Sims’ attorney Kristin Paulding. “[These] are charges that carry jail time.”
According to WAVY, Sims was charged with felony use of device to intercept oral communication and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The felony charge could carry five years in prison.
“Instead of comforting her she’s going to a magistrate and being handcuffed,” Paulding added.
For simply listening to what her own child went through during the day via a recording device, this mother is facing a felony charge that can land her in jail. Hopefully, as her attorney notes, these charges won’t hold up in court.
“We are at the very early stages of this, but even at the early stages I think the community needs to know that this is happening because any parent out there that is sending their child to school now could be at risk for something that happened to Sarah,” Paulding said.
Sadly, TFTP has reported on mothers putting recording devices in their child’s backpack to catch bullies after the school failed to act. Megan Dowdy was one of those mothers.
Dowdy said her son had been having night terrors. She suspected something wrong was happening at school, so she placed a recording device in her son’s pocket. Her child, who’s 13-years-old and autistic, has the cognitive skills of a first-grader and the communication capacity of a kindergartener, according to Dowdy. She said his behavior at night led her to believe something terrible was happening at school. She said, “He kept getting up during the night having night terrors, screaming, having meltdowns for no reason.”
What Dowdy found with her recorder was horrifying. Her autistic son’s bully was a cop.
A Pinellas County school resource officer, serving in Osceola Middle School, was caught on audio recordings abusing the autistic child. Ironically, the officer, Ural Darling, had been celebrated as one of Florida’s top school resource officers for his work in preventing bullying. All that has since changed now that Darling has been found to be the bully, caught by the student’s mother verbally torturing the child.
He was fired in August but unlike Sarah Sims in the story above—who merely tried to catch her daughter’s bully—the officer was not charged.
Mommy probably didn't tell her little angel that she was being used like a chump. Mommy didn't know that in Virginia, at least ONE PARTY needs to know they are being recorded... or it's an illegal wiretap or ease dropping felony.
With a mommy that stupid... no wonder her mutts get harassed at school.
How did I know you'd crumble at the idea of a bully, like all snowflakes these days.
Don't you libtards know that "bullies" have been in existence since the caveman. Why is it just lately, it's a matter of national security?
You libtards love weakening the populace... I guess in your libtard mind, you've gotta protect everyone... just like your libtard welfare ideas of feeding the animals.
Don't you libtards know that "bullies" have been in existence since the caveman. Why is it just lately, it's a matter of national security?
Because bullying an autistic child is a crime and the person(s) responsible for their egregious behavior towards this child can expect to be sued under the ADA Act and possibly proceed per the Civil Rights Act based their appearance and denial of equal protections of the law as well as hostile environment created by the perpetrator(s).
We don't need laws that specifically name blacks, fags, cops, woman, Muslims or even autistic persons as victims in a hate crime. It's not illegal to hate. Harassment and assault covers EVERYONE... even if you weak snowflakes crumble at the term "bully"... it doesn't make it illegal unless the suspect party knowingly committed an act against the victim within the Harassment or Assault statutes. And don't friggin suggest such bullshit. Even autistic, artistic and retards need to learn how to defend themselves.
You may consider autistic people to be retards whereas to others they are gifted people. They make up for a huge difference in our society and bring about positive changes in this world. They are not retarded or stupid. And as far as defending themselves, they are already a protected class by the federal government.
they are already a protected class by the federal government.
You preach limited government to suck the asses of the banned Free Republic filth that post here... and then suck the ass of big daddy gov when it suits your weak snowflake feelings.
Show me a law in your state that specifically protects an autistic person from "bullying".
And I don't consider autism as retardism...I merely was pointing out whether your AUTISTIC, artistic... retarded, female, queer, black, law enforcement or the family pet... you don't deserve nor need a special law that protects you. There are already laws on the books that protect against Harassment and Assault. Hatred IS NOT A CRIME.
Show me a law in your state that specifically protects an autistic person from "bullying".
How about the law of compassion? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I realize that a big, tough, macho man, internet warrior like you has the compassion of Hitler - but most rational people will agree that you don't bully anyone, let alone someone who is retarded or austic.
Hatred IS NOT A CRIME.
Lucky for you - if it were, you'd be doing consecutive life sentences.
